Policy

Residents of Ukrainian communities have gained real leverage over local authorities

The President of Ukraine has signed the Law on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” and other legislative acts of Ukraine on democracy at the level of local self-government. This is reported on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Komersant ukrainskyi informs.

The law, in particular, stipulates that the procedure for initiating, conducting and applying local democracy mechanisms is regulated by local governments in community charters or individual decisions of local councils.

“This document is more than just changes in governance. It is a big step forward for civil society, Ukrainian statehood and democracy. This is an invitation for every citizen to become an active participant in the changes,” said Olena Shulyak, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, in her commentary on the signing of the law.

According to her, communities will now have real levers of influence on their local authorities and will have new tools in their arsenal:

– Local initiatives;

– Public hearings;

– General meetings;

– Petitions and consultations;

– Participation in the formation and distribution of the local budget;

– Mandatory reporting of local deputies and heads to voters.

What else is envisaged by the new law?

As the Decentralization portal explains, the main novelties of the law are:

– mandatory approval of the charters of territorial communities (from January 1, 2027);

– integration of internally displaced persons into the life of the communities where they live;

– detailing the procedure for holding general meetings, public hearings, public evaluation, and submitting local initiatives;

– creation of mechanisms for involving young people in solving local issues;

– provides a definition of the term “resident”;

– community residents are given the opportunity to participate in the planning and allocation of local budget funds;

– defines the procedure for the participation of residents in public consultations, advisory bodies under local self-government bodies and officials;

– details the reporting procedure for community heads and local council members.

The signed law should complement the Law No. 3590 on ensuring transparency of local self-government, which has been in force since last year, and significantly expanded the rules on openness of local councils and executive bodies of communities.